2026 NLL playoffs semifinals preview: Key players, statsplaySan Diego Seals’s Tre Leclaire with a Goal vs. Mammoth (0:35)San Diego Seals’s Tre Leclaire with a Goal vs. Mammoth (0:35)ESPN staffMay 1, 2026, 11:00 AM ETMultiple Authors
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The 2026 National Lacrosse League playoffs continue this weekend, after the quarterfinal round produced upsets aplenty — and no shortage of controversy.
The top-seed Vancouver Warriors were knocked off by the No. 8 Halifax Thunderbirds after an epic comeback, while the three-time defending champion Buffalo Bandits were defeated by the Georgia Swarm. The No. 6 Toronto Rock upset the No. 3 Saskatchewan Rush, and the No. 7 San Diego Seals outlasted the No. 2 Colorado Mammoth thanks to an overtime goal from Tre Leclaire that should have been disallowed:
“After League review, the League has concluded that Leclaire violated rules 67.3 and 17.81 by being the first player to receive a pass after exiting the crease; as such, the goal should have been disallowed and possession awarded to Colorado,” NLL commissioner Brett Frood stated in a statement released to media.
The Seals move on, but as per policy, the on-floor officials from that game will not be assigned to any additional games this postseason.
With the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds knocked out, here’s the full schedule of semifinal matchups, along with key stats and players to know for each best-of-three series.
Semifinal schedule
Note: All games available to stream via the ESPN App and in the NLL streaming hub. All times Eastern.
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Friday, May 1
San Diego Seals at Toronto Rock | Game 1, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Halifax Thunderbirds at Georgia Swarm | Game 1, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 3
Toronto Rock at San Diego Seals | Game 2, 6 p.m.
Schedule for the rest of the semifinal round will be released the week of May 4.
What to know about each series
No. 6 Toronto Rock vs. No. 7 San Diego Seals
How they got here:
Rock: Defeated Rush 16-13 | Seals: Defeated Mammoth 13-12
Leading playoff scorers:
Rock: Chris Boushy (5 G, 1 A), Josh Dawick (3 G, 3 A) | Seals: Wesley Berg (3 G, 4 A); Zach Currier (3 G, 4 A)
Goaltenders:
Rock: Nick Rose (49 saves, 0.79 SV%) | Seals: Christopher Origlieri (33 saves, 0.73 SV%)
No. 4 Georgia Swarm vs. No. 8 Halifax Thunderbirds
How they got here:
Swarm: Defeated Bandits 17-10 | Thunderbirds: Defeated Warriors 10-7
Leading playoff scorers:
Swarm: Lyle Thompson (4 G, 6 A) | Thunderbirds: Jason Knox (4 G, 2 A)
Goaltenders:
Swarm: Brett Dobson (36 saves, 0.78 SV%) | Thunderbirds: Warren Hill (36 saves, 0.84 SV%)
